› Increasing the awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

27 September 2021

Alcohol is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disorders in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a group of physical and neurodevelopmental impairments experienced by people who were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. The outcomes for those affected and their whānau can be tragic and lifelong. September is International FASD Awareness Month. All agencies and services, in the health sector and beyond, have a role to play in preventing alcohol-related harm such as FASD, says Health in all Policies Advisor Chantal Lauzon.

“In support of this, members of the Alcohol Strategy Working Group worked with their Christchurch Alcohol Action Plan (CAAP) partners to produce two posters to help raise awareness that there is no safe time or safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy.” The CAAP is a joint strategy led by Christchurch City Council, Canterbury District Health Board and New Zealand Police, developed in response to community concerns about harmful alcohol use.

Although the COVID-19 outbreak created slight delay in sharing the posters, they have been distributed to the council, primary health organisations, education providers and many other businesses and organisations in Canterbury. “The poster messaging builds on the Te Hiringa Hauora’s Don’t Know? Don’t Drink? campaign. Many women reduce their alcohol use in pregnancy but NZ research has reported that 71 percent of women drank alcohol before they knew they were pregnant,” Chantal says. Alcohol can harm a baby's development at any stage of the pregnancy. Like many drugs, alcohol crosses the placenta from the mother to the unborn baby and reaches concentrations in the developing baby as high as those in the mother. It can change the structure and function of a baby’s developing organs, especially the brain. “The child is then at risk of lifelong physical, behavioural and learning disabilities.” Depending on the amount consumed, alcohol can also cause problems such as miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and slow growth. It may also harm the developing baby in specific ways and so the extent of the damage depends on when the alcohol is consumed. If a woman is drinking alcohol during pregnancy, it is never too late to stop. The sooner drinking stops, the better it will be for both her and her baby, she says. “The awareness campaign complements other work in Canterbury DHB. This includes a professional’s group with Oranga Tamaki, FASD-CAN, Māori consultants, Corrections, the University of Canterbury, secondary school learning centres, and psychological assessment centres.” Together they are rolling out several training, awareness events and programmes to increase understanding and prevent FASD in the wider community. Although national challenges exist with a need for increased funding, diagnosis, and recognition, as well as an updated New Zealand FASD Action Plan, there is a growing local FASD movement, Chantal says. Both A4 posters are available to download from the Community Health Information Centre (https://www.cph. co.nz/order-resources/). Further information:

› Learn more about FASD facts › Download a resource for frontline professionals: FASD

Essentials Strategies › Download a pamphlet with information on the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.